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March Z4, 1931. J. P. NIELSEN ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Original Filed Sept. 22, 1923 Reissued Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES ma P. NIELSEN, or NEW Yonx, N. Y.,

Re.l N18,008

vimeran'rv ort-'lcs 4 ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO` i HORACE HILLS, INC., F RENO, NEVADA, A'CORPORATION 0F NEVADA i ELEc'rnIdLAMP-socxnr CIRCUIT INTEBRUPTEB,

Original No. 1,554,753, dated-September 22, 1925, Serial No. 664,193, led September 22, 1923. Application 1for reissue led January 15, 1927. SerialNo. 161,455.

One of the objects ofthe invention i-s to prevent the surreptitious and' unauthorized use of electric currents by persons occupying rooms or other quarters which are electri- 5 cally lighted. It is a common practice to remove the electric lamp and plug in a heater, curling iron and other appliance consuming current thereby adding materially to the running expense of a hotel, rooming lo house and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wafer or body adapted to be removably positioned in an electric lamp socket l1: Ween the center contacts of the socket and ne lamp plugged therein, and which embodies an interrupter element for the control of current supplied to the socket.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for the mounting of an interrupter element to control or affect the current sup lied to a lamp socket.

One of the orrns which the interrupter element within the wafer may take is that of a fuse wire, and if such an interruptor element is mounted in a wafer or plate in accord ance with the present embodimentffof my invention, and the wafer introduced into an ordinary lamp socket, the fuse will blow or melt and Ainterruptor break the circuit when, any appliance requiring a heavy current consumption is plugged into the socket after the lamp'has been removed, said fuse ybeing concealed within the socket and not readily renewable by the uninitiated.

It is apparent thatmy interrupter may be in various forms, since my mounting is adapt ed to support interrupters of various forms, for example, like those shown in patents to Ryan, No. 1,121,292, Hay, No. 1,283,751, Hewitt et al. No. 851,420,`Reeve,No. 269,960, Shoenberg, No. 1,400,914 and Spencer, No. 1,448,240.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate anembodiment of the invention it is to be understood that lin adapting the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes 50 in the form, proportion and minor details of Figure 5 is a detail view of a key for rotati Y ing the fuse when placing it in position or .removing it from the socket. c Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The body of the device is of flattened form suggestive of a wafer and is constructed of,v

insulating material such as fiber, rubber or composition, and lfor convenience comprises similar or likeplates or body sections 1 and 2 Vbetween which is formed a central space 3 which contains an interrupter element such 'as a fuse wire 4 approximating one ampere capacity and which will blow when a current is passing of greater capacity than required for an electric lamp. The inner or opposing. faces of the sections land 2 are recessed to form the space 3. The outer edge of the fuse is formed with screw threads '5 to match the screw threads of an ordinary lamp socket 6. Openings 7 are provided in a side of the fuse to receive the nib of a key B'Which is required to rotate the fuse when placing the same in position or removing it from the socket. Cen# trally disposedcontacts 9 are provided at 0p- Aposite sides of the fuse and may be held in place by any suitable means such as screws-,10,

the latter also serving Aas means for securing theen ds of the fuse wire' 4. The two sections 1 and 2 may be held when Lassembled by any" suitable means, such as screws 11, the latter admitting of replacing the fuse wire 4 when blown, so that the fuse may be repeatedly used.

To prevent arcing between the contacts after the fuse blows, any fuse iiller may occupy the space 3, or a sheet of mica 12 may be clamped between the sections 1` and 2 and have an opening for the passage of the fuse wire 4.

The opening in the mica 12 is out of line with the contacts to prevent the formation of, a

direct passage for the current.

I claim:

1. In combination with an electric lamp socket, a fuse disposed in the socket and con-v sisting of two wafers having matching recesses therein together forming a central y provided with marginal screw threads to en.

lgage the screw threads of the socket, the fuse aving an internal space, a diaphragm of insulation bridging sa1d space, a fuse element carried by the fuse, and said element passing through the diaphragm in disalinement with its terminals for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with an electric lamp socket, a fuse disposed in the socket and occupyin a minimum amount of the space thereo said fuse being of a ca acity to blow upon attempted consumption o current heavier than that required for the lamp normally occupying the socket, the fuse consisting of disks having their inner surfaces cut away to provide a space, a diaphragm of insulation bridging said space, means securing the disks together and said diaphragm between them, terminals on the disks, a fuse element extending from one terminal tothe otherterminal, and said element passing through the diaphragm in disalinement with the axis of its terminals.

4. A device of the class described adapted to be removably inserted within a lamp socket, comprising a rigid diskhaving a space therein within its eriphery, an interrupter element disposed within and occupying a portion of the s ace, and contacts on opposite sides of ,thevdisk connected to the interrupter element. v

` 5. A circuit interrupter adapted to be removably inserted withm a lamp'socket, comprising a rigid disk with a portion removed therefrom at a point spaced inwardly from its periphery, an interrupter element positioned in a portion of therspace thus provided, and contacts on opposite sides of the disk connected to the interrupter element.

6. A circuit interrupter adapted to be re-W movably positioned in a lamp socket and comprising a pair of rigid plates fixed together and having a space therebetween spaced inwardly from the periphery thereof,

an interrupter element disposed within said ed to be removably positioned within the socket, and having a free space therein in part of which the interrupter element may be disposed. i

8. A mounting for an interrupter element adapted to affect the current supplied to an electric socket, comprising a rigid disk adapted to be removably ositioned within the socket, and havin a ree space therein within the periphery o the disk and in which the interrupter element may be disposed.

9. A mounting for an interrupter element adapted to affect the current supplied to an electric socket, comprising a pair of rigid members secured together to form a housing adapted. to be removably" inserted within the socket and having a space between the members in which the interrupter element may be dis osed.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, 1927. JENS P. NIELSEN. 

